What you need to know for NY's primary elections: Contests, candidates, voting

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon held a debate Wednesday night ahead of the Sept. 13 Democratic primary. The testy exchange featured plenty of interruptions and insults, but yielded no knockout blows. (Aug. 29)
AP

What are the New York primaries?

In the primaries, a party's registered voters choose the candidates to run on the party's line in the November general election, which is Nov. 6. A primary election is held if candidates are challenging the party leadership's choice for the line for November. If there is no competition for the line, no primary election is held for that office. A primary also can be held if party members petition for a chance to write in a candidate.

When are the 2018 New York primary elections?

Thursday, Sept. 13. The primaries are usually held on a Tuesday, but were moved to Thursday this year because of Rosh Hashana.

Didn't we already have a primary?

We did, in June. But that was just for federal-level races, mostly congressional primaries. A federal judge ruled on that date to allow enough time between the primary and the general election for absentee ballots from service personnel serving overseas. State officials didn't want to have state primaries that early, so we ended up with two different primary dates.

What are the primary voting hours?

Who's on the New York primary ballots?

The Democratic primaries for governor and attorney general are the marquee contests. Gov. Andrew Cuomo faces a challenge from Cynthia Nixon. Four candidates are running for the Democratic line for attorney general: Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Zephyr Teachout, Letitia James and Leecia Eve.

How do I find out if I'm registered with a party?

If I'm not registered, can I register now for the primaries?

No. Aug. 19 was the deadline to register in time for the primaries. The deadline to register in time for the November election is Oct. 12.

What is a write-in opportunity?

Officially called an opportunity to ballot, it puts a contest on the ballot so party voters can write in a candidate, either because they don't like the one being proposed or because the party leadership has not put up a candidate for the office. It usually involves parties with smaller numbers of registered voters.

How do I write in a candidate?

There's a space on the paper ballot designated for write-ins. Write the name of the person you'd like.

List: primaries and candidates

Here are the statewide, Legislature and some of the local primaries on ballots in the Rochester area.